Senior College Receives National Award

The University of Southern Maine’s Senior College, the first school for Maine people aged 55 and older, has distinguished itself among its peers in higher education by garnering a national award for excellence. Earlier this fall, Senior College received the Year 2000 Distinguished Non-Credit Program award from the Association of Continuing Higher Education (ACHE).

USM’s Senior College was established in the fall of 1997 under the leadership of Rabbi Harry Sky of Falmouth in response to requests from seniors in the southern Maine community who desired an alternative learning opportunity.

The Distinguished Program awards are presented at the ACHE annual meeting to recognize the outstanding program in credit and non-credit categories. To be considered outstanding, the program must be innovative in utilizing resources in a unique way or by serving a new audience. In addition, the program must have received positive responses from its intended audience and met budget requirements.

Sky, the founding of director of Senior College, and Terry Foster, USM’s director of the Center for Extended Academic Programs, which oversees Senior College, are credited with the program’s national recognition and success. Sky identified a need for classes designed specifically for older individuals, and Foster provided the staff and organizational support to enable the program to grow. Senior College was designed to offer academic classes that were intellectually stimulating for seniors, but in which study would be for the love of learning and not for grades. Members devise the curriculum and enroll in non-credit classes taught by peers. Courses are offered during the fall and spring semesters. More than 300 seniors enrolled for the first semester of classes when Senior College opened in the fall of 1997. Since then, the program has been expanding statewide, with 465 members at the Portland site and over 900 members statewide. This fall, Sky stepped down as director and Kali Lightfoot has been selected as the new director of Senior College.
For more information and class descriptions, please call Senior College at 780-4512. The program is an adjunct of USM’s Center for Extended Academic Programs and is affiliated with the national Elderhostel Institute Network.